This invention relates to a device for automatically handling ears of corn and classification thereof for the various and most effective uses to which the ear may be put various uses of corn include canning of kernels, freezing of kernels and the freezing of lengths of ears for consumption as "corn on the cob". Applicant's device takes the husked and cleaned ear of corn through various operations to completely analyze the kernels of the ear and the size of the ear to determine its best ultimate use. Many ears are defective and suitable only for use outside of human consumption. Other ears will meet parameters of use of only the kernels while still other ears will meet the parameters of kernel size and quality and ear size to enable their utilization as trimmed, predetermined lengths. The device of this invention includes at least these basic sorting operations and is easily adapted to enable other classifications for full use of the ear of corn.
Applicants are well aware of the commercially available art for performing the functions of this machine and to the best of their knowledge no such devices or machines exist. As far as patentably reflected art, the applicant is aware of only two previous U.S. patents which relate to ear analyzation with subsequent operations being performed to the ears.
These patents are U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,031, issued Sep. 30, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,722, issued Nov. 8, 1983. Both of these patents are entitled ARTICLE ORIENTATION DEVICE and relate solely to devices which will reject ears of underminimum or overmaximum size and which will rotate ears of proper size such that all ears exiting therefrom are properly oriented, end-to-end, for the subsequent operations to be performed to the ears. These two patents also include interrogation means for rejection of ears which are not properly cleaned or are kernel defective. Neither of these patents part discloses the interrogation of the individual kernels or acceptability of the ear over a predetermined length.
The device disclosed herein will select and determine a length within the length of an ear of corn in which all of the kernels meet predetermined standards and wherein, for example, the diameter within the length meets predetermined standards. Uniformity and consistency of the trimmed length is important in providing frozen "corn on the cob".
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a device to receive husked and cleaned ears of corn for interrogation of the ear and its kernels for subsequent use of the same for kernel removal or utilization of the cob with the kernels.
It is a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a device for the transportation of previously cleaned and husked ears of corn through an interrogation station to analyze the kernels of the ear and determine the existence of a predetermined length of the ear to be of a proper size and wherein the kernels meet predetermined standards and thereafter transport such ear to a trimming station.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a device for trimming predetermined lengths of ears of corn wherein the trimmed length will meet certain parameters of size and kernel quality.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a device for interrogation and sorting of ears of corn for their most effective use.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying disclosure and drawings.